Risky Business (1983) An Interesting And Unusual Start To Tom Cruise’s Stardom (Review)

I think I went into Risky Business with the wrong impression. I didn’t grow up in the 1980s, I grew up in the 2010s, so my view of ’80s teen comedies has been entirely shaped by John Hughes and the Brat Pack. I think of films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club, and others that have a similar fast-paced flair, cocky lead characters, and a distinct flashy look that has helped make them into prime examples of ’80s pop culture. Since Risky Business was released in the same time period as these, I was thinking that it would be in the same ballpark – but it kind of … isn’t. It certainly has some similarities with those classics, but Risky Business is slower, moodier and, well, riskier than those aforementioned films. I don’t think it’s perfect, but it certainly caught me by surprise, and stands out among the many John Hughes and Brat Pack films.

Let’s begin with the main star, the then-upcoming talent and heartthrob, but now action movie star, stunt daredevil, paparazzi-attracting, and religiously questionable Tom Cruise. While Top Gun was probably the movie that solidified his image and introduced action to his résumé (something that would later come to define his career), Risky Business gives Cruise a lot to do, and he succeeds at it effortlessly. 

I was, of course, aware of the iconic scene where he dances to Old Time Rock N’ Roll, but it’s a shame that this relatively inconsequential moment upstages the rest of his performance. I can definitely see a bit of that cocksure arrogance and the playful cheekiness of a character like Ferris Bueller, but here it feels less in-your-face and more methodical. To Ferris Bueller, behaving this way was just for fun, but with Tom Cruise’s Joel it’s quite literally a business – a way of life for him while his parents are away. The people that he’s meeting are genuinely dangerous and on the wrong side of society and the law, and while he’s still somewhat cavalier about the whole thing, he’s at least aware that it’s not all fun and games. 

There’s a gloomier aesthetic to Risky Business that contrasts with the brightness of a John Hughes production, and while I will complain about the cinematography in a moment, for the most part I think the film visually is interesting. The fantastical and dreamlike way in which some scenes are shot makes sense for the wild ride that Joel’s on, but it also does a good job of slowing the film down, especially at times where the endless carefree partying and blissful sex can get a bit monotonous. 

The music choices are also really strong too, with Tangerine Dream’s pulsating, synth-heavy soundtrack being the main stylistic choice , giving the film more of an evocative atmosphere than its ’80s comedy counterparts. The score already makes a great impression during the film’s opening, the atmospheric synths and dark electronic soundscape set to shots of the city at night almost giving the impression that the film will be a neo-noir. Given the darkness I suppose it is in some ways, but it’s also got the great elements of a coming-of-age comedy too.

This leads me to a few issues I’ve got with the film, which are largely down to some strange tonal changes that can make it feel a little jarring. One minute Cruise is joyfully dancing away to Bob Seger, the next he’s in a car chase after rescuing a helpless prostitute from her really pissed-off pimp. Then he’s having a carefree college interview while a bunch of teens gleefully party around him, only for the same pimp from earlier to rob the house of all its furniture, and Joel to be in a serious race against time to get everything back before his parents return. I get that the theme of the film is an innocent teenager landing himself into dangerous waters (or more appropriately, the titular Risky Business), but the shifts between a regular coming-of-age comedy and the cutthroat world of crime and prostitution aren’t as seamless as they perhaps could be.

While the film has its own unique vibe, helped by the fantastic soundtrack from Tangerine Dream, visually it’s a bit more mixed, and although I’ve praised the dreamlike approach to filming some scenes, the colour palette of Risky Business was disappointing. It’s a bit flat, and doesn’t have the striking big and bold colours of other films from the era like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and while it’s hardly a Fellini movie, it’s got a certain punchiness – even though it can sometimes look a bit pedestrian and lacking in cinematic flair.

Risky Business is definitely good, and it’s an interesting start to Tom Cruise’s career, that’s for sure. He’s certainly a versatile actor, but as he moved away from this style very quickly, it’s cool to see him in a coming-of-age comedy. It’s a darker, moodier take on the genre that lacks energy in places, but it also has a unique dreamlike quality and some very funny sequences that make it worth watching at least once. Having said that, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think the Old Time Rock N’ Roll scene was the best moment in the whole thing.

Alex’s Archive – Risky Business (1983)